Buying, Owning & Improving
Ian Cushway searches out new and used parts prices
More evolution than revolution, the Mk6 might just be the refined bargain hatch you’ve been looking for.
VW GOLF Mk6
Believe it or not, next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the first Golf. In this time, the evergreen hatch has continued to grow in status, each generation offering more space, more refinement and a more fuel-efficient range of engines. Yet throughout, solid German engineering, practicality and the attraction of that classy VW badge on the grille have remained constant, which is why the Golf continues to attract buyers. Not only that, but cleverly, by continuing the instantly recognisable shape of the panel just rearward of the rear side window, you can pretty much trace the design lineage right through from the Mk1 to the current day offering.
That said, the Golf’s success story hasn’t been without its less successful chapters. The Mk3 from 1991 was a bit of a let-down after the much loved and now classic Mk2. Bloated looking and bland with roly-poly handling, it was safer and boasted more luxuries, but the extra weight ruined the driving experience. Thankfully the Mk4 from 1998 was more of a return to the original concept.It boasted better handling, more space and a more generous spec list than its predecessor and its squared off styling still looks sharp in a nostalgic kind of way.
The more rounded Mk5 from 2004 represented a huge leap forward for the Golf. As well as its rakish styling, it was bigger in the back, safer, came with a wider range of engines and transmissions, and best of all, was much more sophisticated underneath with a new platform, electric steering, multilink rear suspension and direct injection for most of the petrol and diesel engines.
It’s no wonder then that Volkswagen decided to ‘evolve’ the Mk5 into the model we’re looking at here – the Mk6 – rather start with a clean sheet. Indeed, the sixth generation Golf is based on the same PQ35 platform as the Mk5 and inherited many of its engines. The big difference was i
